Package



H. B. TUTHILL June 13, 1944,

PACKAGE Filed Oct. 19, 1942 inuenfor Howard B Tud' PM Aflovne Patented June 13, 1944 ENT orsicr.

PACKAGE Howard B.Tuthill, Grand Rapids, Mich, assignor to Oliver Machinery Company, Grand Rapids,

Mich, a limited partnership of Michigan Application ()ctober 19, 1942,; Serial No. sea-'57s 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a special package and method of producing the same, particularly in connection with drinking cups or like articles which are nested together to save space.

It is common practice in connection with the sanitary wrapping of drinking cups or like receptacles to enclose a package of the nested cups in a wrapper of thin flexible material, of which Cellophane is an example, placing the wrapper over the upper end of the package and bringing it down along the sides of the package to and below the bottom and then twisting the wrapper together at the bottom or otherwise closing it around such package. With my invention the amount of wrapper needed is materially reduced with a saving of the excess wrapping material previously used and at the same time the package is completely protected against dust, dirt, or other unsanitary effects.

The primary desirable object and result of the invention is material economy in the amount of wrapping required without sacrifice of cleanliness or sanitation in any respect.

An understanding of the invention may be had from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective View showing a package of drinking cups in nested condition with the wrapper to be used therewith located horizon tally over the upper open end of the uppermost cup in the package.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the wrapped package.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation illustrating the securing or binding strip used at the lower portions of the wrapper around the package, and I Fig. 4 is a somewhat enlarged vertical section centrally through the wrapped package.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the difierent figures of the drawing.

The cups I each have a bottom and upwardly and outwardly diverging sides, each have an open upper end around which is a continuous rim 2 formed by turning the material of the cup outwardly, downwardly and back upon itself as shown. A plurality of these cups may be stacked or nested one within the other to provide a package of any desired number.

To wrap and cover the package and to protect it in a sanitary manner a thin sheet of wrapping material 3, Cellophane or an equivalent material, preferably of a substantially circular form is used, the central part thereof being located over the upper open end of the uppermost cup of the package as shown in Fig. 1. The marginal portions are then turned downwardly and overlapped as at 4 covering the rims 2 of the cups and extending downwardly below such rim of the lowermost cup of the package and then pressed inwardly against the sides of the lowermost cup below its upper rim.

In this position the wrapper is secured in place by a binding strip 5 of paper or the like which at one edge is slitted at spaced apart points in its length providing a consecutive series of tongues 6, separated from each other at their ends and integrally connected with the strip at their inner ends. This strip is located around the ackage with the continuous portion of the strip immediately below the rim 2 of the lowermost cup and with the tongues 6 extending upwardly to lie over the outer sides of said lowermost cup rim as best shown in Figs. 2 and 4. In this position the binding strip is secured in place as by cementing. The method of cementing or adhesion in place may be accomplished in numerous Ways. For example, the ends of the strip may be overlapped and the overlapping outer end of the strip gummed at its inner side may be moistened and secured in place by pressure. Of course the entire length of the strip may also be gummed, moistened and in this manner secured in place. Also a strip of thermoplastic material, as Cellophane, may be cemented by application of heat. Other means of securing the strip will readily occur to those skilled in the art.

ered consists of the bottom and lower part of the side Walls of the lowest cup of the package. All of the rims surrounding the upper edges of the cups are covered and protected against unsanitary contact and there is a closure against the entrance of dirt or dust into either the uppermost cup or the other cups by passage downwardly between their adjacent side walls.

With this package the amount of wrapping material required is greatly reduced. Depending upon the number of articles which are nested together in a package, the saving in covering and wrapping material may vary from 30 to 50% or more. From a practical standpoint a package of less than one-half dozen of the drinking cups would be seldom provided, in which case the saving of wrapping material will approach 50%, will be a less amount in percentage with a greater number of cups nested together and will be greater should a less number of cups, three'or four, for example, be in a package.

A saving of wrapping material which previously The only part of the package which is uncovupwardly and outwardly diverging sides, and an open upper end, each of said articles around its upper end having an annular outwardly extend: ing rim, a covering memberof thin flexible ma: terial and of substantially circularform located centrally over the upper open end of the um most article in the package and having marginal portions turned downwardly and with portions thereof overlapping other portions to enclose and 20 cover the upper ends and said rims therearound of all of said articles, said depending portions of the covering member terminating a short distance below said upper rim of the lowermost article in the package, and a sealing strip comprising a band of thin flexible material having vertical spaced slits therein from its upper edge downwardly for a distance approximately onehalf of the width of the strip and pressing against the lower portions of the depending sides of said covering member, said vertical slitting of the sealing strip providing upwardly extending tongues which separate and spread upon engaging the upper end portion of the lowermost article in said package around the rim thereof, and

said sealing strip being secured in an endless 

